Human-Caused Roosevelt Fire Destroys 55 Homes

Fall might be in the air, but wildfires continue to burn across the country. One of the largest is in Wyoming and has reached over 60,000 acres.

More than a 1,000 firefighters are dealing with the Roosevelt Fire just south of Jackson Hole, in the rural community of Bondurant.

It's burning in an area of pricey real estate, with both full time and resort homes. So far, over 55 homes have been confirmed as destroyed.

Gina Bonaminio is with the Forest Service. She says a fire this late in the season is not easy to contain.

"A lot of the resources are starting to time out on their seasons," said Bonaminio. "So a lot of people are hired as temporary seasonals, and so they have six months. That is their term for being able to work."

And Bonaminio said a lot of those terms ended September 30.

U.S. Forest Service Investigators concluded that the fire was caused by an abandoned campfire.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, Yellowstone Public Radio in Montana, KUER in Salt Lake City and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado.

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Dry hot winds caused two large fires burning in the state to grow over the weekend. The Ryan Fire on the Colorado-Wyoming border is now over 19,000 acres and 30 percent contained. No homes have been lost there. A little rain fell on it Sunday and Monday, but temperatures are expected to remain high through the week. Archery hunters should check with the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest about closures.

A campaign led by the Western Wyoming Fire Prevention and Education Team is working to remind residents and tourists of things they can do to prepare for wildfires. The team is a joint effort of the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wyoming’s Forestry Division, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It may be autumn in a couple of days but wildfire season isn't slowing down. People living in parts of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah remain evacuated from their homes because of nearby wildfires. And the flames are fueling another thing-private firefighting companies.